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Book Review: Salt to the Sea

This review was written by our new Youth Services Assistant, Kayley Ramsey! Kayley has been living in the Wichita/Derby area for about eight years and teaches photography classes at Wichita City Arts. She’s a lover of historical fiction, fantasy, and anything with a great adventure. Feel free to come back to the Youth Services desk to meet her and get some great book recommendations!

Salt to the Sea Book Review by Kayley Ramsey

First Line: Guilt is a hunter.

Summary: On January 30th, 1945, three Russian torpedoes sunk the Wilhelm Gustolff, a German ship carrying 10,582 passengers, the majority being refugees hailing from all parts of Europe escaping war torn territory. Over 9,000 of those passengers died that night in the Baltic Sea, a tragic 5,000 at least of those were children. It is by far, the most deadly maritime disaster to have ever occurred dwarfing the infamous Titanic and yet it is often overlooked by history books and World War II accounts. Salt to the Sea tells the fictional account of a traveling group of refugees, each with their own secrets and goals braving war-torn Europe to make their way to the fateful Wilhelm Gustolff and toward freedom.

Highlights: Salt to the Sea is beautifully written from multiple perspectives, illuminating a charming, brave, and lovable band of characters that you really don’t want to drown in the Baltic Sea. Sepetys makes a point of shedding light on the suffering on all sides of a war. She seeks to tell the history of people groups that suffered during World War II, yet aren’t often talked about or remembered. In this, Salt to the Sea is an eye opener, reminding us all of the totality and the span of war and hatred. The book is as educational as it is moving.

Lowlights: This book is not for the faint of heart. It speaks realistically of the horrors people faced in wartime, both at the hands of human hatred and by the forces of nature. Several times, I had to slam my book shut and rant to my husband about the horrible injustice of it all but then of course, I quickly picked it back up because Salt to the Sea is a page turner and against your better judgment, you are going to get attached and want everyone to live happily ever after.

FYI: I am already biased toward Ruta Sepetys’ work. Her other two novels, Between Shades of Gray and Out of the Easy are riveting reads. Between Shades of Gray also takes place during World War II and has some overlapping characters from Salt to the Sea.

Early June new releases

Aaahhhh. Summer is finally here! The kids are out of school, the pools are open and the sun is (we hope!) shining. Summer just screams at me to pick up a new book — or several! — and climb into the hammock under the tree and ignore everything else for a while as I lose myself in the pages. When I was a teenager, we lived just a couple blocks from the local public library, so I would ride my bike over, pick up a few novels, come home and jump in the hammock to read. My family always knew where to find me in the backyard.

And now that I am, well, let’s just say not a teenager any longer, and my summers aren’t nearly as free as they were when I was 14, my heart still yearns for the hammock, a light breeze and a stack of good books. Luckily, with all the new releases to look forward to this month, my stack will stay nice and tall.

Here are a few titles we are looking forward to that will be released the first couple of weeks of June.

June 6: Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
This, the 13th novel from Sarah Dessen, takes place in the world of wedding planning, so a crisis is just about guaranteed. Louna is the daughter of a famous wedding planner, so she has seen weddings at beaches, hotels, and fancy clubs. After her first love ended tragically, Louna is pretty cynical about happy endings. So when she meets Ambrose, she works to keep her distance. However, now that he’s met a girl he really wants, Ambrose is hard to discourage.

“The Alice Network” is the newest historical novel by Kate Quinn.

June 6: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
This new historical novel by Kate Quinn brings together the stories of a 1915 woman, Eve Gardiner, recruited as a spy in France, and a 1947 unconventional American socialite, Charlie St. Clair. Charlie is sent to Europe to have a “little problem” taken care of, but while there she goes on the hunt for her cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war. There, Charlie meets Eve, who, desperate to fight against the Germans, is trained by the “Queen of Spies” and sent into enemy-occupied France during the World War I.

June 6: Camino Island by John Grisham
A daring heist from a vault deep below an Ivy League university’s library. A dealer in rare books, who also occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts. A young female novelist who goes undercover. Eventually, people learn too much. Suspense as only Grisham can deliver.

June 13: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
From the author of Bad Feminist comes an emotionally raw memoir of food, weight, self-image, and self-care. From Goodreads: “As a woman who describes her own body as ‘wildly undisciplined,’ Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care. In Hunger, she explores her own past—including the devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life—and brings readers along on her journey to understand and ultimately save herself.”

Take a trip to Old Hollywood in this story of one actress’s story of her life, secrets, and all seven husbands.

June 13: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evelyn Hugo, one of the most glamorous actresses of Old Hollywood, has decided the time has come to tell her story, and the truth, about her scandalous life. To do so, she chooses unknown magazine report Monique Gray, who is not exactly at the top of her own world, but is determined to use this chance to jump start her career. As Evelyn’s life unfolds, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s surprisingly in tragic and irreversible ways.

June 13: The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor
Kristoff, an apprentice stamp engraver in Austria, is forced to work for the Germans after his teacher, a master stamp engraver, disappears during the Kristallnacht. Fifty years later, Katie Nelson discovers a stamp collection of her father’s, which includes an unusual stamp from World War II Austria. The discovery leads Katie and Benjamin, an appraiser, on a journey to find the origins of the stamp.

Summer reading for grown-ups!

If you are a parent, you may be familiar with summer reading programs for kids. You know, you come into the library, sign your child(ren) up, and then spend the summer convincing them to spend time with books to log all their minutes reading or being read to, and hope that the weather in the last couple weeks before school starts is nice enough to use your free passes to the water park. It’s fun. No, really, it is! But admittedly, it can be a little bit exhausting.

Even if you don’t have children, you may think that summer reading programs are only for kids. And our summer reading program for kids is super awesome, but it’s not the only summer reading program we have.

We have a summer reading program for you! Yes, every single person who loves to read and is 18 or older can enroll in our adult summer reading program. Registration for the adult summer reading program opens at 9 a.m., Tuesday, May 30. You can register and track your books online or you can come in to the library and pick up a paper log. All books must be logged by 5 p.m. July 23.

Oh, and let’s talk about the prizes! We love to give away prizes! Each week, anyone who has read at least 4 books will be entered in a drawing for a library tote loaded with books and swag. Tuesday, July 25, we’ll draw three names to win grand prizes — a Kindle Fire HD and $50 Amazon gift card — from all participants who have logged at least four books . All prize winners will be drawn at random.

The theme for all our summer reading programs is the same this year: Build a Better World. So help us build a better world this summer by participating in our adult summer reading program. And tell us in the comments below how reading helps build a better world for you!

Book Review: Hawksong

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

First line: “They say the first of my kind was a woman named Alasdair, a human raised by hawks.”

Summary: Hawksong tells the story of the ancient world of shapeshifters and the bloody war between the avians and the serpiente. Danica Shardae, the young princess to the throne of the avian shapeshifters, has had enough of the fighting. After losing nearly her entire family in war, Danica decides to make a sacrifice for the good of her people and the good of the world; she agrees to marry the prince of serpents, Zane Cobriana. Though both she and Zane believe their union will bring peace, not everyone agrees with their decision and soon Danica learns that she can’t trust anyone as both her people and her heart are put at the greatest risk.

Highlights: Atwater-Rhodes has created a unique world and a deep mythology for her readers to enjoy. This novel is excellent for anyone with a taste for science fiction, fantasy, ancient worlds, adventure, and political intrigue. The story also provides an endearing love story that doesn’t come off as forced or insincere. Readers will find themselves invested in Danica and rooting for her throughout the story. As betrayal and heartbreak come to her, the reader is caught up in how Danica will free herself from this war and from the enemies around her. Hawksong is visually stunning. Atwater-Rhodes has created such incredible landscapes and backdrops for these characters, and it feels almost cinematic in its description.

Lowlights: The most difficult aspect of the book is the unique language that Atwater-Rhodes designed for her world. The book doesn’t have a dictionary or pronunciation key in the back (nor really any references online) so it makes it frustrating for readers to understand certain made-up words that the author has put in the story. The book is also fairly short. Written in a time when young adult novels were almost always less than 300 pages, the novel tends to move very quickly, passing through sections that really deserve more attention.

FYI: This book is the first in the Kiesha’ra series which contains five books in total. The second book continues the story of Danica and Zane and the other three present new characters. The author of Hawksong is also widely known as a prodigy, having published her first novel at thirteen. If you enjoy this book, we have many of her other books available in the young adult section of the library.

Late May new release titles

It’s nearly summer and that (hopefully) means more reading time, right? What kinds of books do you like to read in summer? Are you a person who loves those easy “beach reads”? Or is summer your opportunity to get your teeth into something meaty while lounging in the backyard or by the pool? Share some of your favorite summertime reads in the comments!

Meanwhile, here are some brand-new books to look forward to, that will be out in the latter half of this month. Click on any of the titles to be taken to the catalog where you can see if the book is on the shelf or you can put it on hold.

“A Million Junes” by Emily Henry is scheduled to be released May 16.

May 16: A Million Junes by Emily Henry
Reading the summary of this book on Goodreads, I see the link to Romeo & Juliet, but I also see some Hatfields and McCoys here. The setting is Five Fingers, Michigan, and the century-old feud between the Angerts and the O’Donnells is as strong as ever. Jack “June” O’Donnell, 18, like the O’Donnells before her has nothing to do with any of the Angert family — until Saul Angert, son of June’s mortal enemy, returns to town after three years away. Suddenly, June finds she doesn’t hate Saul. The chain reaction sparked by Saul’s arrival threatens to reveal truths that have been hidden about the families’ feud for 100 years.

May 16: Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer
Are you looking for a good beach read for your Memorial Day weekend? This book from the author dubbed the queen of beach reads might be a great choice. Darcy Cotterill lives on Nantucket and is surprised when she finds out that her ex-husband is living next door with his wife and step-daughter for the summer. In addition, she’s trying to navigate the ups and downs of her own romantic relationship with a local carpenter.

May 18: Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession by Alison Weir
Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, this novel tells the story of the second of Henry’s six wives. Anne is young and at the English court fresh from France. You know how she died. Now read how she lived.

The sequel to “Lady Midnight” by Cassandra Clare, “Lord of Shadows” continues the story of Emma, Julian and Mark.

May 23: Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs is fighting her feelings for her parabatai, Julian, and begins dating his brother Mark. Mark has just returned from spending five years trapped in Faerie and no one is sure whether he will ever be able to be a shadowhunter again. Emma, Julian and Mark are caught between the unsettled Faerie courts and the Clave.

May 23: The Long Drop by Denise Mina
Do you have a hard time finding books that aren’t part of a series? I do. Here’s a standalone psychological thriller about a “trial-of-the-century” in 1950’s Glasgow. A string of murders has occurred and Peter Manuel is found guilty of the crimes, but how did he end up there?

First in a new Gothic horror series from Madeleine Roux, “House of Furies” is scheduled to be released May 30.

May 30: House of Furies by Madeleine Roux
First in a new Gothic horror series by Roux. Finding herself happily out of the harsh school she’s been attending, 17-year-old Louisa finds employment as a maid at Coldthistle House, a boarding house. While she’s happy for the change, she quickly realizes that something isn’t quite right. This boarding house is a house of judgment, not rest, as Mr. Morningside and his staff are expected to execute their own justice. Louisa begins to fear for one kind young resident, but how can she know who to trust?

Book Review: The Edge of Lost

Note: This review is from Linda, a member of the library staff.

“The Edge of Lost” by Kristina McMorris

First line: Alcatraz Island, October 1937 Fog encircled the island, a strangling grip, as search efforts mounted.

Staff member Linda sits in the break room and reads “The Edge of Lost.”

Summary: Shanley Keagen is a 10-year-old orphan in Ireland in the 1920’s. He lives with his drunken and abusive uncle in a run-down slum in Dublin. His uncle takes advantage of Shanley’s skills, pushing him into performing in low-class pubs and then taking what small wages Shanley earns.

Shanley convinces his uncle to migrate to America where they can make more money from Shanley’s entertaining. They make their way to America, but his uncle dies during the voyage. Alone at only 12, Shanley must figure out how to get through Ellis Island with no family contacts in his new country. He befriends a young Italian boy, Nick Capello, whose family has been visiting Italy and are on their way home to the U.S. The boys convince Nick’s parents to accept Shanley as their long deceased son Tommy, so Shanley now has a new family. So begins his new life in America as Tommy Capello.

The book details Tommy’s life growing up in an Italian family, his relationships with his siblings and the Italian mob during the 1930’s. After trying to save his brother Nick in a supposed bank robbery, Tommy is sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary.

Linda recommends “The Edge of Lost” to patrons who like historic fiction, or fiction with unexpected plot twists.

While there, he once again begins entertaining, this time his fellow inmates, with his jokes, stories and voice imitations. Tommy is then transferred to Alcatraz to serve the remaining time on his 20-year sentence. While there he becomes the model prisoner and eventually finds a way to escape with help from some unusual contacts.

Linda’s thoughts: I chose this book because of a post on Pinterest I saw that someone had shared. I found the very beginning of the book to be somewhat slow, but after about 25 pages I became interested in the plot. The story has a twist I never expected and it was difficult to stop reading! I highly recommend this book with its action, surprise situations, and plot-twisting end.

Book Review: The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

First Line: “When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.”

Summary: After the loss of her neglectful parents in India, young Mary Lennox is sent to live with her widowed uncle in a Manor on the English moor. Bitter and angry, Mary is forced to play by herself among the gardens of the manor, but when a lovely robin shows her the way into a hidden garden, Mary’s world and heart are changed. As she delights in the flowers and creatures of the moor, she discovers that gardens aren’t the only secrets at Misselthwaite.

Highlights: The Secret Garden is the perfect story to read in spring as it vividly details the magic of growth. Burnett makes the reader feel the warm moor winds and the lush green of the gardens, encouraging the reader to step outside and reach down into the earth. This book is a healer, and if readers are looking for a gentle yet magical read, Burnett’s characters, writing style, and timeless story will take hold of your heart.

Lowlights: This book was published in 1911 around the time the Yorkshire dialect was popular. Burnett has many characters who speak this way and it can be both challenging and frustrating, especially for younger readers, to understand what’s being said. Our library, however, has an annotated edition of the book that may help to understand the dialogue.

FYI: This book has inspired a number of film adaptations, but my personal favorite is the 1993 version with Maggie Smith. It is a great family film and a perfect end to reading this book. I would also recommend this book as a read-aloud or continuous bed time story for families with young children, especially around this blooming spring season.

The library — a place for art!

When you think of libraries, you likely think of books, movies, and maybe even a children’s area. All could be considered a form of art. But did you know here at the Derby Public Library, our collections of art also include, well, art.

“Strawberry Fizz” was featured in an exhibit of macro photography recently in the Gathering Space Gallery.

The library has two galleries in which different forms of visual art are regularly displayed. The Gathering Space Gallery, which includes the Community Room and main entry of the library, shows several exhibitions a year, including one every spring that features students from Derby schools.

The High Wall Gallery is inside the library, in the business and genealogy area. Smaller exhibitions are displayed in this gallery, often including works from library patrons and Derby community members. Since it is a smaller space, artists with a smaller body of work also get the opportunity to exhibit.

Library records show that the Derby Arts Council was officially organized in 2010. The Arts Council is a volunteer group made up of community members who have an interest in art.

“Touching the Clouds” by Steve Marler is a quintessential Kansas photograph.

The board seeks out local artists, bringing their work into our community, allowing members of the community to expand their experience with art. The goal of the library is to encourage appreciation of and participation in the visual arts.

If you visit the library regularly, you have probably noticed the many types of artwork that have been on display. The Arts Council is pleased to be able to bring various forms of art and different mediums to the public.

One of the artists whose work has been featured is cut paper art by Angie Pickman. This piece is titled Prairie Rows.

Past exhibitions have included sculpture, abstract art on plywood, along with traditional oil paintings and photographs.

However, the Arts Council doesn’t just share the art with the community, it makes every effort to bring the artist to the community as well. Artists are encouraged to host a reception, allowing members of the community to meet the artist and learn about the art, directly from the person who created it.

I Dream of Dragons

So I’ve got a little confession to make…I am so obsessed with dragons right now. To be fair, I think everyone is a little obsessed with dragons what with Game of Thrones and this new Starbucks “secret menu” Dragon Frappuccino that’s riding on the coattails of the Unicorn Frap. Even though I get that it’s a mythological being, I totally want to own (or be) a dragon.

The infamous “secret menu” dragon frappuccino from Starbucks!

It all started innocently enough. I binge watched Game of Thrones to catch up for the upcoming season, and I was on the hunt for a fun and easy IOS game that had a similar fantasy feel. Then I stumbled upon DragonVale, this adorable game that lets you collect and hatch all kinds of dragons, and I was hooked! I mean, I get to literally be a Mother of Dragons!! The game has been around for a few years, and the design, the animation, and the little story lines are so cool!

Now if you’re like me, when you get into something, you REALLY get into it. It’s like finding an awesome song and playing it on repeat for three days until you start hallucinating a little. So, naturally, if I was watching shows with dragons and playing a game with dragons, I had to start reading a book with dragons too, and I found the Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland!

If you know a reluctant reader, young or old, or someone who loves adventure, fight scenes, and mysterious prophecies, these books are the perfect fit. The series begins in the wake of this terrible war between three Sand Dragon sisters who are battling for the throne. A prophecy appears promising five dragonets of destiny who will choose the right leader and save the world, but Clay, Tsunami, Sunny, Glory, and Starflight aren’t sure if they can save anyone, even themselves.

If you are a dragon lover like me, throw on your Mother of Dragons t-shirt, cozy up with a Dragon Frappuccino, and be it with a show, a game, or a book, dive into a dragon’s world of flight, fire, and fantasy!

Early May new release titles

Isn’t it fun that new books just keep coming and coming? However, it means that my to-read list is always getting longer, no matter how fast I finish books! How do you decide what book you should read next? Do you keep a stack of books on your nightstand and read them top to bottom? Do you have a “hopeful” stack that you think you’ll pull your next book from? I am so easily distracted by the new, shiny titles, that some of my to-reads have been in the stack for years!

So, let’s add to those piles or throw something shiny and new into the mix with these books that are being released in early May.

May 2: A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas
My heart is beating so fast just thinking about getting my hands on the third installment in Maas’ Court of Thorns and Roses series. I’m dying to see what Feyre has planned in the Spring Court, and where things are going on the other side of the wall in Prythian. War is looming and one slip by Feyre could bring not only Prythian down, but could cost Feyre everything she loves.

May 2: The Boy on the Bridge (The Girl With All the Gifts #2) by M.R. Carey
From Goodreads: “Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy.
The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.
To where the monsters lived.”

“Into the Water” is a new thriller by Paula Hawkins, author of “The Girl on the Train.

May 2: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
A single mother is found dead in the river, in the same place a teenage girls was found just a little earlier that summer. Are the two deaths related? A lonely 15-year-old girl is left behind in the care of an aunt she doesn’t know, a woman who vowed never to return to the place she left. And the river is disturbed and secrets are beginning to emerge.

May 9: Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan
Nora and Theresa Flynn leave their small village in Ireland and travel to America, to a new home in Boston. Decisions are made by both sisters that will have long-term repercussions, as 50 years later, when Nora is the matriarch of a large family and Theresa is in a convent in rural Vermont, a sudden death forces them to face choices they made long ago.

May 9: The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
It’s California in the 1930s, and reporter Irene Glasson finds a beautiful actress staring up at her from the bottom of the pool in an exclusive little town where Hollywood’s elite go for privacy. The dead woman was the keeper of a secret about one of Hollywood’s leading men, a scoop that Irene was hoping to land. Now the rookie reporter is investigating murder.

May 11: New Boy (Othello) by Tracy Chevalier
This is the fifth installment in the Hogarth Shakespeare series (which also includes titles from Margaret Atwood and Anne Tyler). From Goodreads: “The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970’s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practice a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Peeking over the shoulders of four 11 year olds Osei, Dee, Ian, and his reluctant girlfriend Mimi, Tracy Chevalier’s powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying and betrayal will leave you reeling.”